The USDA said on Wednesday evening that routine monitoring had confirmed the presence of E.coli O157:H7 in the meat. It said there had been no reports of illness associated with eating it.

The potentially deadly bacterium can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration and, in the most severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, the elderly and people with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to food borne illness, the USDA said.

The products were produced on July 18 by National Beef Packing Co. of Liberal, Kansas, and shipped in 40-pound to 60-pound cases to retailers, wholesalers, and food service distributors nationwide.

The recalled meat bears the number "EST. 208A" inside the USDA mark of inspection, the department said.